Top Things To Do on Block Island with Kids

1. Take the Ferry

There are no bridges to Block, so access is via boat only. Assuming you don’t have your own vessel, you can hop aboard a ferry to Block Island in New London, Connecticut, Montauk, New York, and Newport and Point Judith, Rhode Island. Why not enjoy the Long Island Sound crossing open-air (weather permitting)? From Long Island, you can double the fun by eschewing the Montauk ferry for the ferry from Orient Point to New London and another from New London to Block Island.

2. Rent Bikes

Once you’re there, you’ll need transportation. Island Moped and Bike Rental and Old Harbor Bike Shop are two rental options near the ferry terminals. 

The grounds at the Southeast Lighthouse offer amazing views out over the Atlantic, including the island’s best perspective on the new Block Island Windfarm located three miles offshore.

3. Ride to Southeast Lighthouse

Take those rental bikes on a tour around the island. It’s less than two miles from the ferry to the younger and more accessible of the island’s two lighthouses. By young, don’t think recent, however. Southeast Light dates to 1875. Climb to the top and soak in the unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse and gift shop are open in the summer and tours of the tower are available.

4. Visit Mohegan Bluffs

Leave the lighthouse via a left turn onto Spring Street and you’ll be less than half a mile from Mohegan Bluffs. Park your bikes and walk down a steep 141 steps to the beach. As you climb down, take in the giant red-clay cliffs and more stunning ocean views.

Make your way down the stairs to this glorious beach.

5. Hit the Beach

A glacial creation, Block Island isn’t the beach destination New York’s Hamptons are; nor even Martha’s Vineyard in nearby Massachusetts. But many believe the top beach on the Island is at the base of Mohegan Bluffs. It’s a bit rocky—water shoes might be best for little kids—and it lacks lifeguards. Before you settle in, take a look back up at the bluffs and see how far down you've traveled. Then make sure you’re hydrated as you head back up.

6. Check Out Painted Rock

It’s as hokey as eastern Long Island’s Great Duck or Providence’s Big Bug, but Painted Rock (and it is just that) is worth seeing if only to enlighten tweens about life before the App Store. Two teens (and future spouses) began painting messages on an industrial-size rock along Mohegan Trail in 1962. Islanders soon began using the rock as a primitive means of communication, and these days the rock gets a fresh message at least once a week in the summer.

7. Rodman’s Hollow

Turning right at the end of Mohegan Trail onto Lakeside Drive takes you past Rodman’s Hollow, a 230-acre glacial plain filled with native trees and shrubs. Kids can hunt for glass orbs as part of an annual, summerlong scavenger hunt and register their finds online here.
 

8. Bird Watching at Lewis-Dickens Wildlife Refuge

This 120-acre habitat provides panoramic views of the ocean, easy hiking on flat terrain, and a great opportunity to spot migrating raptors. Owls, falcons, warblers, and harriers have been known to pass through. 

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Visit the wildlife at 1661 Farm and Gardens. Photo courtesy of the farm

9. 1661 Farm and Gardens

If you haven’t guessed, Block Island is all about the natural world. The 1661 Farm and Gardens, less than a half-mile from the ferry terminal, is the island’s lone petting zoo and one of its most popular attractions. Meet and interact with the farm’s resident camels, llamas, goats, swans, kangaroos, and lemurs. There’s even a full-grown yak. Kids can feed the flightless emus. The farm is not to be missed.     

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10. Head Back to the Beach

Ballard’s Beach, this time. Near the ferry terminal, Ballard’s Beach could be the island’s most popular beach. Here you will find a tiki bar, food service, live music, and lifeguards in the summer. Entrance to the beach is through Ballard’s Beach Resort.

11. A Quieter Beach

Less than two miles north of Ballard’s Beach sits Crescent Beach, anchored by the town-run Frederick J. Benson Pavilion. Visitors can rent chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards and enjoy beach snacks from the concession stand. The beach has lifeguards in the summer, and the sand is soft and ideal for castle building.   

12. Meet the Living Fossils

Block Island is thought to be one of the most popular Eastern breeding grounds for horseshoe crabs, whose appearance has remained unchanged for 300 million years. June is spawning season when many of these aquatic arthropods come ashore to mate. They’re harmless, even with their daunting tails, and kids will love to count them. Just don’t pull out their tails: The animals use their tails to right themselves after waves and will likely die without them. 

13. Enjoy the Salt Pond

Locals cherish Block Island’s Great Salt Pond, where visitors can rent kayaks, paddleboards, boats, and fishing equipment. The pond, technically a marine estuary, provides the island with an ideal deep-water harbor. At local clinics, kids can even enjoy guided kayaking adventures apart from their parents. Striped bass, bluefish, and more populate the pond, and families can take on the challenge together.

14. National Wildlife Refuge

Not far from the Great Salt Pond is the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, a 134-acre natural habitat for a host of migratory songbirds. The refuge attracts hundreds of bird watchers each fall, eager for a glimpse of these long-distance travelers.      

15. Sunset at North Lighthouse

Our tour of the island ends at the 55-foot-high North Lighthouse, commissioned in 1829 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Not-to-be-missed coastal views surround the light, which, as you guessed, is at the northernmost part of the island. Treat the kids to a picnic in the summer and take in the breathtaking sunsets. The lighthouse also has a museum, and behind it sits Sachem Pond Wildlife Refuge, another flyover location for bird species.

Best Restaurants and Sweet Spots on Block Island

As you might expect from an island destination, seafood—sit-down style and takeout—dominates on Block Island, but there are some other options. Here’s a rundown of the best family dining on the island.

16. Pizza and Italian

Aldo's is the only complete-menu Italian restaurant on Block, offering a variety of pizzas, pasta, and other essentials. Its bakery and ice cream store is next door. Papa’s Pizzeria offers, of course, pizza and a host of calzones. Eat inside or on the picnic benches outdoors. Block Island Pizza Pie Co. offers takeout and outdoor seating and a menu full of pies, salads, and wraps.

17. Comfort Food and More

The Beachead, as you might guess is located right on Crescent Beach, serving what it calls "New England food with a twist." Kimberly’s, with a diverse menu, is a quaint destination favored by locals. Dead Eye Dick’s offers great views of Great Salt Pond, while Poor People’s Pub boasts of its "nothing fancy, just good grub" philosophy.

18. Seafood

Ocean varietals here range from takeout lobster rolls at Rebecca's to sit-down swordfish and sushi at The Oar. The Block Island Oyster Bar features a menu of local favorites and a playground for kids.

Grab simple cones or more indulgent treats at The Ice Cream Place. Photo courtesy of the shop

19. The Ice Cream Place

This simply named but delectable destination is the place for the perfect cone, cup, or sundae, and has been for more than 40 years. If you can imagine a flavor, you can probably find it here. As of June 2021, Ben & Jerry’s location on the island remains "temporarily closed."

20. Candy and Chocolate

Chapel Sweets, near the ferry terminal, is open from May to Columbus Day weekend, and features fudge, hand-crafted chocolates, and more. Blocks of Fudge is another chocolate lover’s emporium.